Method of making prewelt shoes



June 9, 1953 H. LIPTON ,0

METHOD OF MAKING PREWEL-T SHOES Filed Feb. 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Mine 9, 1953' H. LIPTON METHOD OF MAKING PREWELT SHOES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Feb; 17, 1950 Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCEMETHOD OF MAKING PREWELT SHOES Henry Lipton, Chicago, Ill. ApplicationFebruary 17, 1950, Serial No. 144,806

This invention relates to a method of making pre-welt shoes.

It is well known that the conventional type of lasted shoe isconstructed with both an inner and an outer sole, a so-called fillerbeing used between the two soles. For many years the shoe industry has.been endeavoring to fabricate shoes whereby the conventional inner solemay be dis pensed with, the upper surface of the outer sole itselfacting as an inner sole. Such a shoe has many advantages. It is lessexpensive, easier to construct and dispenses with the filler, thusretarding irritation and burning of the feet caused by the adhesive usedto cement the filler to the inner sole. A heavier outer sole can be usedwithout increasing the weight and the shoe so made is stronger and moreflexible. Furthermore, there is no necessity of bed lasting and the useof expensive bed lasting machinery is eliminated.

Many efforts have been made to fabricate such a shoe but withoutsuccess. Such efforts have been directed to slip lasted shoes andstitched on shoes but no regular lasted shoe has been constructedwherein the inner sole is entirely eliminated.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novelconstructed shoe wherein the conventional inner sole is dispensed with,and a novel method of fabricating the same.

Another general object of the invention is to devise a lasted shoe whichis of more economical construction and is stronger than lasted shoesknown in the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity of aninner sole and filler and to attach the outer sole directly to theupper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heavier outer solewithout increasing the overall weight of the shoe and at the same timeincreasing its flexibility.

Still another object of the invention is to manufacture a lasted shoewithout the necessity of a bed lasting operation, thereby eliminatingthe expense of bed lasting machinery.

A more specific object of the invention is to attach the sole byadhesive to an inturned portion of the upper and to a welt stitchedthereto, prior to stitching the sole to the welt.

The foregoing and other objects. of the invention will become apparentfrom the specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a front perspective view of the upper;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the upper tacked to a last;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the upper and last shown in Fig. 2;

1 Claim. (Cl. 12-142) Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the upper andlast, with the tacks removed and a sole secured by adhesive to the upperand its welt;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the finished shoe; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line 'i-l' of Fig. 6.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Fig. 1, anupper generally designated 2, preferably formed of leather, isaccuratelyprefabricated to the configuration of a last by stitching side segments4 to each other at the toe end of the upper along the line 6 and at theheel end along the line 8. a top segment 9 being stitched to the sidesegments as at I0. The toe ends of the segments 4 are serrated alongtheir lower.

edge as at 12 for a purpose hereinafter described, either before orafter stitching of the segments to each other.

The external surface of the upper is then roughened in any desiredmanner as at l3 from the lower edge of the segments 4 upwardly to a lineextending above the serrations l2 and rearwardly therefrom to: the shankportions. M of the segments 4, and along this line as at I6 is stitchedthe lower edge of a Welt l8. As best seen in Fig. 5, the lower edge ofthe upper is preferably tapered.

The upper thus formed is then pulled over a last 20 as shown in Figs. 2and 3, until the stitching l6 overlaps the sole or bottom surface 22(Fig. 2) of the last 20. The lower edge of the upper is then turned inand tacked or similarly secured as at 24 (Figs. 2 and 3) to the surface22, the shank portions M of the segments 4 being secured as by staples26 to a conventional stiffener 28 (Fig. 2) preferably formed of leather.A pair of reinforcing pieces 30 and 32 of leather are also preferablytacked between the stiffener 28 and the inturned edge of the upper 2 toafford convenient securement to a conventional heel and arch support(not shown). It may be noted that the serrations l2 of the toe end ofthe upper overlap each other after the lower edge thereof has beenturned in, thereby affording a fiat unwrinkled surface for attachment ofa sole as hereinafter described. Any wrinkles which may develop alongany part of the inturned portion of the upper are preferably cut away asat 25, thereby forming additional serrations and ensuring a flatunwrinkled surface.

With the upper thus secured to the sole surface 22 of the last 20. theupper is shrunk or ironed to configuration with the last 20 in the usualmanner, as by moistening the leather and applying a hot iron to pressthe upper against 3 the last and to shrink the upper to theconfiguration thereof.

After the ironing process, the tacks 24 are removed and the inturnedexterior edge of the upper is preferably reroughened, whereupon an outersole 34 is secured thereto by adhesive and to the inturned edge of thewelt l8, over the stitching .16 .as best seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

The welt I8 is then turned fiat against :the sole 34 as best seen inFigs. 6 and 7 and is stitched thereto as at 36, whereupon a heel 38 isapplied in the usual manner and the shoe is finished as desired.

Thus it will be understood that I have devised a novel shoe and methodof making the same, whereby the upper is accurately formed to the shapeof the last and is then lasted to accommodate ironing and subsequentattachment of a sole not only to the inturned edge of the upper but alsoto the stitched edge of a welt, whereupon the welt is stitched to thesole to afford a secancl attachment thereo. The novel shoe produced bythis process has proved not only to be unusually flexible for .a lastedshoe but is a more economical and a stronger shoe than lasted shoes ofthe prinr art. Furthermore, by elimination :of the conventlonal innersole, a heavier outer sole may 'be used without increasing the oven-allweight of the shoe or detracting from its flexibility.

Thus there is provided a novel inexpensive method of fabricating a shoewherein the outer sole is secured directly to the upperand theconventional inner sole and .filler is completely eliminated. Shoes madeby this method are stronger, more flexible and free from the adhesiveelement which causes burning and irritation of the feet.

Changes may be made in form and construction without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and theright is hereby reserved to make all changes as fairly fall within thescope Of the following claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured .by Letters Patent ofthe United States is as follows:

A method of manufacturing prewelt lasted shoes comprising providing anupper having a welt attached thereto at a suflicient distance from itslower edge to provide a lasting allowance below the welt, applying saidupper to a bare last, pulling the lasting allowance over upon the lastand fastening it thereto, cementing an outsole to the lower surface ofsaid welt and finally sewing said welt to said sole to provide aflexible single sole shoe.

HEI Y LXPTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 211,147 Glidden Jan. 7, 1879 325,561 Na'lly Sept. 1, 1885821,935 Gabrielian May 29, 1906 850,961 Orzechowski Apr. 23, 19071,229,077 Hedlund June 5, 1917 1,261,802 Maghdesian Apr. 9, 19181,340,143 'Bates May 18, 1920 2,124,621 Klaubauf July 26, 1938 2,144,732Baxter Jan. 24, 1939 2,435,797 Reed Feb. 10,1948 2,440,393 Clark Apr.27, 1948 2,483,921 Medwed Oct. 4, 1949

